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Officers raided the house Halstead shares with his parents in Burnley, Lancashire, after a tip off from Dutch police in March 2013.

The raid led to tests on all of the specimens they found.

Posts included a selfie which showed the 24-year-old in a car with a zebra head in the back of it

Halstead, pictured outside court (left) and with a giant sea turtle shell (right), was jailed for 24 weeks after he admitted four charges brought under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement ) Regulations 1997 at Burnley Crown Court today

Officers discovered most of the items he traded in were legally held but three sperm whale teeth, the skull of a cheetah and a dolphin were bought in contravention of the Control in Trade of Endangered Species regulations.

He had also offered a snowy owl for sale without proper permits.

He is believed to have sold items from a ground floor room in his parents’ house. The court heard Halstead called himself ‘Halstead Taxidermy’ on social media.

PC Nigel Keates, wildlife officer for Lancashire Police, said after the case: 'This was certainly an unusual case and very different from the type of wildlife crime we’re used to dealing with here in Lancashire.

Officers raided the house Halstead shares with his parents in Burnley, Lancashire, after a tip off from Dutch police. Above, a variety of heads in a photograph uploaded by Halstead to social media

Pictures showed him roaring alongside the head of a tiger and even riding a giraffe in an outside area

In other shots, Halstead can be seen proudly showing off his wares including a buffalo head (left) and a leopard skin coat (right)

'He has shown a flagrant disregard for the regulations in place surrounding the buying and selling of endangered species and today he has been sentenced accordingly for flouting these rules.'

PC Keates added that there had been a resurgence of interest in taxidermy following Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and the Compare the Meerkat adverts.

He said: 'Even high end fashion couture continues to use animal skins for things like handbags and purses.

Officers discovered most of the items he traded in were legally held but three sperm whale teeth, the skull of a cheetah and a dolphin were bought in contravention of the Control in Trade of Endangered Species regulations. He is pictured (above) joking around with a giant sea turtle shell

Halstead's collection of stuffed animal heads is vast. He pleaded not guilty to the purchase of four leopard skins, which the prosecution accepted

'There is quite rightly a strong public revulsion in the trade of some of these items and it is important that those who flout the legislation are brought to justice.'

Halstead pleaded not guilty to the purchase of four leopard skins, which the prosecution accepted.

The trial judge requested the skins be seized by Lancashire Police and the charges lie on file.